Fear
by purple platypus of doom
Summary: Leo ran, fear fueling his body. This is the story of how it all began, of the first time he felt that overwhelming fear. A fear he could never escape. Oneshot.


So, I wrote a oneshot. I don't know why I did, but I did. The story idea was just crowding my mind. I hope y'all like it.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Beast Master.

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Fear surged through Leo's veins. Leaves smacked his face. Branches snagged his cargo pants; scratched his skin. His heart beat a thousand miles a minute. He could hear it coming, stalking him like only a creature of prey could. _I never should have gone away from the camp. _Leo cursed himself,_ I should have listened to Dad and Toki._

****Only an hour ago, Leo, his Dad, and Toki had been together in the camp, getting ready for bed. The party was passing through a jungle, moving to a more plentiful valley. The quickest way, and the way that did not run by too many people, was through the jungle. Leo loved it. The stuffy, overwhelming air, the near darkness, the rain that never seemed to get through the thick leaves, made him feel alive. Every thought had been focused on the sights, sounds, and the very air of the place. Leo's dad had warned him, of course, that it was dangerous, and never to let down his guard.

Toki and his dad had fallen asleep, curled up on the sleeping mats. But Leo had not slept. He sat awake, listening to the jungle sounds. The darkness was absolute. Waving a hand in front of his face did nothing, he could see nothing._ I don't even know if I'm real, if I have a body._ He rolled over, staring at another section of Dark. The rot smell of the forest calmed him in a way nothing else had. Leo had run away from thousands of people, all after a fortune he had never even seen. He had never understood why they chased him. Sure, he knew there was something they wanted from him, yet it had never really clicked.

He rolled over again. Closing his eyes did no good. Toki had told him if he pretended he was asleep, then he would fall asleep. This time, he was wrong. Closing his eyes only showed him more of that absolute darkness. Fed up with not seeing, Leo pulled out a match, and struck it. The glossy leaves reflected the flame. Darkness seemed to eat the tiny flame, pulling what little light it produced away into a pit from which nothing escaped. Behind the leaves, pinpricks of light stared out at him.

A soft breeze reached out of the completely still jungle, caressing his face, sunning its fingers through his hair. The light went out. He lit another, quickly finding a flashlight from his pack. As soon as the match went out again, he clicked on the light. A beam shot out, illuminating more than the match did. Soft faces, hard faces, jagged lines and ruffling feathers, disappeared in the light. Curiosity pushed through his common sense. What do they look like? His dad and Toki's advise flew out of his mind with the sound. The eerie sound of the wild howled out, crying in a beautiful sound.

A twig cracked underfoot. Leo jumped, glancing behind him. When did I get out of bed? The cry rang out again, a captivating sound in the darkness. One step forward. Then another, and another. Before he knew it, the jungle had swallowed him up. He glanced over his shoulder. Only a few steps back and he would be next to his dad, Toki. He would be safe. The cry rang out, long and chilling. The very hair on the back of his neck stood on end. His eyes sought out the sound in the dark to no avail. He didn't look back.

Walking through the jungle at night was strange. Trees and branches loomed out of the darkness, reaching out to wrap him up. Yet Leo felt no fear. Every once in awhile, he caught sight of an animal. A tail, fur, eyes, spots. Leo wandered aimlessly.

He had lost track of time, wandering through the darkness._ Maybe I should go back._ The eerie howl had disappeared long ago, leaving him with an empty feeling. It was only a few steps before he heard it. Chillingly low, brutally wild, and so close. A playful purr. Leo froze, his mind racing. _What did dad tell me to do? Run? Play dead?_ He couldn't remember. His hand clutched at the small harmonica hung around his neck. The purr came closer. To the right, then the left, behind him. Silence fell. Leo couldn't breath. His eyes were wide, fear pulsing through him.

He ran.

Fear filled his veins. Heart hammering, he barreled through the jungle. The flashlight beam jumped around as he pumped his arms. Adrenaline fuelled his body, propelling him faster than Leo had ever thought he could run. His foot collided with an unknown source, tripping him up. He landed flat on his face, dead leaves flying around him. Two paws dug into his back. His head swam, something warm trickling down, dropping on the ground. Claws dug into his flesh, ripping his shirt. Leo was suddenly vividly aware of the lack of breath in his lungs. Pressure on his back, his face pushed into the ground. The iron of dirt and the copper of blood mingled in his mouth.

The pressure disappeared. He scrambled to his feet. _It_ was still there. His flashlight had fallen on the ground, yet the light still caught smooth, shimmering fur. Without a sound, the creature pawed up to him. A cat's grin, the grin that said so much. _You are such a fun toy. But time is running short. I haven't had such a good meal in a while._ His teeth glimmered in the light, his breath hot on Leo's face. Darkness surrounded him.

**Fear.**

**Heat.**

**Soft fur.**

**Cold teeth.**

**Copper taste.**

**Warm blood.**

When he came to, lying at Leo's feet was a leopard. Blood dripped from his face. A trembling hand whipped it away as fast as possible. The heat of the night pressed down on him. A hand rested on his shoulder, his father.

****The taste of the leopard lingered.


End file.
